


What Would Dad Say? - Episode 2 of "STARMAN - the Next Generation"

by Chuck S (HowNovel), Nina (HowNovel)



Series: STARMAN THE NEXT GENERATION [2]
Category: Starman (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-22
Updated: 2012-05-22
Packaged: 2017-11-08 03:51:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/438838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HowNovel/pseuds/Chuck%20S, https://archiveofourown.org/users/HowNovel/pseuds/Nina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <div class="center">
  <p>A STARMAN 25th Anniversary Fan Fiction<br/>Commemorating the founding of Spotlight STARMAN International on May 22, 1987</p>
</div><p>The new single dad of a 10 year old boy, Scott learns the joys and tribulations of instant fatherhood, while searching for larger quarters somewhere near his parents in Baraboo, Wisconsin to replace his cramped bachelor pad in Madison. As he tries to teach STARMAN family values to Scotty, he finds he is often asking himself, “What would Dad say?” While hiking around Devil’s Lake near Baraboo, Paul and Scott discuss parenting and Scott’s feelings for Julie. Scott’s parental skills are put to the test when Scotty experiences his first crisis in dealing with real life, and Scott has to come up with an answer to a pivotal question his son raises. </p><p>[Although sometimes slightly fictionalized for the story, all locations mentioned exist in the real world. Troy and Alana and most details of the event and its aftermath described in the story are also real, although the location has been changed to fit our fanfic universe.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Would Dad Say? - Episode 2 of "STARMAN - the Next Generation"

**What Would Dad Say?  
Episode 2 of _STARMAN the Next Generation_  
A STARMAN 25th Anniversary Fan Fiction  
Commemorating the founding of Spotlight STARMAN International on May 22, 1987  
By Chuck S. and Nina  
©May 22, 2012**

**Foreword:**

Dedicated to Troy and Alana and their parents—and all parents in similar circumstances.

See Episode 1 of _STARMAN the Next Generation_ for the full story of how 10 year old Scotty came to be cloned from a thirty-something Scott. Our story takes place in the immediate aftermath. 

Richard Marx’s musical timeline and the actual time of introduction of the iPod have been altered to advance the story line. 

Copyright May 22, 2012 by Chuck S. and Nina. All rights reserved. This story is a work of fiction based on characters and situations created in the 1984 feature film and 1986-87 television series, STARMAN. It is an amateur publication circulated without profit for the enjoyment of fellow fans. No infringement of existing copyrights is intended.   
  
---  
  
“That’s my boy!”

The refrain from Bobby Goldsboro’s classic paean to another Scotty and first time dads echoed through Scott’s head as he went to check if his new 10 year old son had gotten ready for bed properly. Several weeks after the helicopter accident had necessitated the cloning of his persona, but not long enough a process to produce a full adult, Scott had a lot of instant learning to do as a parent. Some of the bedtime rituals were admittedly the realm of younger kids, but Scotty still loved getting tucked into bed, with a light kiss on the forehead and a “Good night, son” from his dedicated father.

Because the cloning had been so recent, Scotty had not had much time to develop his own life experiences, leaving him only with memories of what he/his dad had been like at age 10, filtered through a thirty-something’s consciousness. He vaguely remembered foster parents, baseball, track, being a fairly good student, along with some troubling memories of wondering who his dad was, and why he left. _Well, that’s one problem I don’t have to think about anymore,_ he thought with immense relief. That seminal difference would in time mold the young boy into a new persona from his cloned parent, a singular personality based on the stable environment his dad never enjoyed when he was growing up. 

"Daddy, um, Dad?" Scotty murmured, as he finished brushing his teeth, caught in the period between childhood and ‘tween where he was never quite sure if he was still young enough to use “Daddy,” or should always go from now on with the more manly, “Dad” in addressing his father. The result was a mix of each, depending on the circumstances, whether they were together in private or in someone else’s presence, whether they were sharing a loving moment, whether Jenny, who always referred to her son as “Daddy” in the young boy’s presence, was around.

"Yes, Scotty?"

“Remember, you asked me today, how you were doing as a dad, and I didn’t know what to say?”

“I remember. You just held your mouth open. Didn’t you remember Granddad asking me that question?”

“Well, all of your memories are real foggy in my head. I’ve pretty much forgotten them all. But I’ve been thinking about your question. You’re okay for a new dad.” 

“Are you sure?” the new dad replied, grinning. He picked up his son and dumped him into the bed with a little bounce, followed by a careful tucking in of the blankets and sheets all around his precious cargo. 

“Oh yeah,” came the sleepy reply from the young boy. “More than okay.” 

“Thanks, kiddo. Coming from you, that’s also more than okay. I love you. Sleep well.”

 _I’m a dad!_ Scott Senior exclaimed to no one with pride and some trepidation as he walked back from Scotty’s room. Even a month or two into parenthood, he marveled at the unlikely events that led him there. He thought back how his dad must have experienced the same emotions when he returned to Earth to discover he had a 14 year old son—Scott. Like father, like son, indeed. Some more phrases of the song echoed in Scott’s ears, “I’ve got my own rainbow…sitting here watching Scotty grow.”   
  
---  
  
**Next day:**

After a long, tiring day at their jobs as researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Scott and his girlfriend, Julie, were lounging by the heated indoor pool at his condo in Madison. They'd swum a bit earlier, but being "old" as Scotty pronounced them, after about 20 minutes, they'd both run out of stamina to keep up with the active and athletic youngster, who was still going strong over an hour later. Thus, they contented themselves with relaxed adult conversation between intimate friends, while watchfully supervising Scotty, who kept leaping over the waterfall with a resounding splash, disappearing into the depths of the pool when he wasn’t disappearing into thin air. 

"Hey Dad! Watch me disappear!" 10 year old Scotty called exuberantly from the far end of the pool. 

An instant later, the boy appeared to be gone.

"How did he do that?" Julie inquired. "His sphere?"

Scott shook his head in genuine bewilderment. "I have no idea, but he's been doing magic tricks for days now. I showed him how to create a sphere just two weeks ago. He can’t be that quick a learner. In fact, I don’t even know how to do that with _my_ sphere.”

Like all 10 year olds from Algeiba, his ancestral star, Scotty had an innate ability to channel the star’s energy into a nice, shiny, silver ball of portable energy. But like 11 year olds in a wand-wielding universe, some kids were more adept than others. Just as Harry Potter could conjure up a Patronus before anyone else, sphere prowess was both an inherited and acquired skill. With a lot more time to practice in his formative years, the boy would ultimately far exceed his dad, even if he shared the same genetic makeup. 

"Pretty neat trick, Scotty," Julie called encouragingly to the open air, still wondering how the 10 year old had managed that illusion. 

"Yeah, just be sure you know how to _reappear,_ Scotty," his father advised.

"Da-aa-dy!" Scotty exclaimed in exasperation, re-materializing and rolling his eyes at the fatherly concern, momentarily forgetting his resolve to use “Da-aad!” in these circumstances. The boy then beamed in Julie’s direction. “Thanks, Julie.” 

“Did you just learn to do that with your sphere, Scotty?” Julie inquired. 

“Nah, I figured it out last night,” came the honest reply. 

“Was that when you were supposed to be in bed?” came the predictable question from Scott, remembering there had not been any time left for sphere activities last night. 

“Well, um, yeah.” Scotty divulged reluctantly, already holding the Starman value of honesty as his own. 

“Scott Junior, I told you that you couldn’t play with your sphere after your bedtime,” came the admonishment from his parent trying to be parental. 

“But Dad, I gotta practice, ya know. There are so many things I’m learning how to do.”

Scott didn’t have the heart to rebuke his son too much further, so he tried a tactic he thought his dad would use, thinking back to the time they got into a footrace together. “I know, but a 10 year old needs his rest. You already have a four year head start on when I first used my sphere. What are you trying to do–beat me at sphere skills before you’re even a teenager?” Still, Scott’s warm smile communicated he wouldn’t be so stern as to prevent his son from sneaking in a few practices every now and then. 

“Don’t worry, Dad,” Scotty grinned back mischievously. “I know if I don’t get enough rest, I can’t focus so well on making the sphere do what I want it to do, so I won’t be cutting bedtime—too often.” 

Scotty dived, and Dad just sighed with a look of helplessness at Julie. 

“How’s the house-hunting coming?” Julie asked with a smile, changing the subject.

“It’s coming,” Scott replied with a wry smile. “Sleeping on the living room couch while the kid occupies my bedroom is getting old fast.” 

“Making sacrifices is what parents do,” Julie reminded him. “And since your, uh, acquisition of a 10 year old boy made you an instant father, you can hardly have anticipated needing anything more than your cramped bachelor pad.”

“It’s very important we find a good school system and a house where Scotty can walk to school, and I wanna have a yard to play with him in, and I want a smaller, kid-focused kind of town with a water tower on the hill. A place where the natives are friendly, and everybody waves and helps their neighbors when they need a hand.” Scott marveled at those words of domesticity coming from his mouth. 

“And the white picket fence. I know. Where have you been looking for this paradise?” Julie asked amusedly. 

“Baraboo, near my parents’ house and Mom’s gallery, would be ideal, since she or Dad could look after Scotty before I get home from work. Forty-five minutes from the city would be a comfortable commute through all that gorgeous scenery. When Dad originally saw it, he said it reminded him of Ironwood, where Uncle Bob grew up, and Dad and I spent our first Christmas together.”

Julie nodded, recalling that Scott had told her about the visit with Stella, the mother of the first Paul Forrester, who now called himself Bob, Scott’s father’s twin. “It’s a great place to raise kids,” she agreed. 

Scott loved his parents’ country home, perched 1000 feet high above the town where the peak of Fox Hill Road became Fox Hill Court, with the panoramic view of the hills in the distance, and the pretty kidney shaped pond gracing the front entrance. It was a much larger version of Jenny’s cabin in Saguaro, with plenty of room for overnight guests. The built-in observatory dome on the roof, with the 14 inch reflector telescope pointing toward the cosmos, left no doubt the occupants knew a thing or two about the stars. Scott and Scotty had visited several times already, delighting in the pampering both received from the new grandparents, and enjoying the town’s many amenities. Scott remembered that long ago, when Paul and Jenny were first looking at the property, both he and his mother had instantly recoiled at the name of the neighborhood. Paul had merely smiled at the irony, and in time, Scott had learned to do so as well, relishing the thought of how his younger sister, Lizzie, who had now spent most of her childhood in that house, and her friends had blithely trampled all over Fox Hill for years. 

By a few years past the chase, with a bit of unexpected help from the Hayden in-laws, who lived nearby, Paul and Jenny had saved enough to begin looking in earnest for a place to put down roots. Scott, by that time in college, had stayed in Madison, but his parents had wanted a bigger place for Lizzie to be able to run and play, a studio for Jenny and a darkroom for Paul, and room for visiting family and friends. So soon after the long years of the endless night, fear still gripped their hearts at unexpected times, but they went to Baraboo full of hope and determination to establish a safe and happy home that would finally be theirs for good and forever. When they found a large log home so reminiscent of Jenny’s Arizona hideaway, with the same degree of privacy and rustic splendor, they knew it was The One. Later, with the prize money from another Pulitzer, and a few significant commissions that came Paul's way, they invested in the whole family's passion with a fully equipped observatory capable of photographing colorful nebulae in far-away galaxies, and of course, Paul's home star in great detail. Times had changed. 

“Yeah, I really like that town,” the new dad said enthusiastically. “I can’t believe how kid friendly it is. Scotty would love the indoor and outdoor pools the town has. And the zoo, and the circus headquarters, and the International Crane Foundation, and hiking up around Devil’s Lake, and….”

“I get it.” Julie laughed. “And do you want just a two bedroom home, or do you want to plan for expansion?” she asked coyly.

“Um, maybe,” Scott grinned, blowing her a kiss. “I’m going up to do some house-hunting next weekend. Come with me and exert your influence.” 

"Dad, can I have an iPod for my birthday?" Scotty asked, emerging from the pool and coming over to where his father and Julie sat. His “first” birthday, in early November, was approaching, and he'd been floating requests for a while now.

"Hmm," Scott said thoughtfully. "It's a possibility, but I thought you wanted a new video game system like Kyle's."

"Well, can I have both?" came the predictable reply.

"Everybody has to make choices, son," Scott replied, mindful of both budget and spoiling the child. “Which do you want more?” 

He'd already promised Scotty a special birthday weekend, starting with dinner on Friday with Paul and Jenny at Scotty’s favorite restaurant, the Log Cabin, in Baraboo, followed by a trip the next day to the Circus Museum, and then a jaunt through the Upside-down White House, a kids’ tourist attraction in nearby Wisconsin Dells. For Sunday, when they came home to Madison, he was planning a small party for Scotty’s friends with homemade pepperoni-pineapple pizza and Julie’s favorite ice cream concoction – chocolate chip gelato root beer float with a tubular cookie lined with chocolate on the inside, sticking out at a jaunty angle. Julie was an expert cook, priding herself as being a contemporary heir to her namesake, Julia Child – one more reason for Scott, something of a good cook himself, to love about her. Thirty-something bachelors and bachelorettes had to know how to cook to survive, didn’t they? Anyway, the birthday thing, plus one special gift, was already straining Scott’s intended budget. Fortunately, Paul and Jenny agreed to fund their new grandson’s entire first wardrobe.

“Wow. That’s tough. Can I think about it?” Scotty answered, a bit dejectedly. 

“Sure thing, kiddo. Take your time. It will be the first big decision of your life.” 

“And can we have lobster instead of pizza for my party? Julie’s recipe is really good!" the boy exclaimed helpfully. Yep, Scotty loved Julie’s cooking, too.

"It's also expensive," Scott said pointedly. "For grownup special occasions only." 

“Okay, we’ll do it for your birthday, since it’s the same as mine.” Scotty grinned at his dad. 

Defeated again by the boy’s ingenuity, his dad knew he’d have to get better at these responses. All he could do was grin back wanly. With that, Scotty turned and made a perfect dive under the waterfall.

"About the iPod," Julie began once Scotty was out of earshot. Well on the way to becoming soul mates, she and Scott were good enough friends now that they could gesture, laugh, or even converse like this, and the other would know what was meant even before the sentence was completed. 

"Thank you, but it's still early," Scott responded. "We'll see. I may go take a look tomorrow. We mustn’t spoil him, you know. 

“Think of it this way,” Julie replied. “He’s missed 10 years of presents already.”

Julie reminded Scott of his mom—always with the irrefutable argument. And Scotty was like both of them. 

“And he’s such a cool kid—just like his daddy,” she added. 

Scott laughed at the double entendre. _Yep, his clone is just like his daddy. And my girlfriend thinks both Scotts are cool. That’s cool!_  
  
---  
  
The next weekend, Scott drove Julie and Scotty up to Baraboo, determined to narrow down the search for suitable housing for himself and his son—who knows, maybe Julie, too, he thought with some satisfaction. He wasn’t ready yet to make that level of commitment, but the thirty-something felt a growing love and kinship for the woman who just might be The One. _Well, I wasn’t ready for fatherhood, either, just a few weeks ago,_ he reasoned, _and that’s turning out to evoke the best feelings of my life since Dad and I bonded almost 20 years ago. Wouldn’t it be great if Scotty, Julie and I became a loving family, and Scotty got the stable home and childhood I never had?_ Even though Scotty was his clone, Scott Senior knew the different environment would shape his son, and he was determined to provide the best family situation he could. _Maybe someday, even a little brother and sister…._  
  
---  
  
“So you’re up here this weekend to do some house-hunting, huh?” Jenny commented during lunch. 

“I was wondering how long you would last sleeping on that couch, and sharing a bedroom with a young boy,” Paul added.

“Wow, big brother is going to come up and live near us. Cool! You’ll be able to help me with my homework!” Lizzie teased with a grin. 

Scott touched his sister’s shoulder affectionately. Despite their large age difference—Lizzie was a young teen— the two of them had always had a special bond. He felt a responsibility to his only sibling that she not grow up feeling alone in the universe as a Starchild as he had. So even though he had never lived in the same home with Lizzie, having moved on campus at the beginning of his sophomore year, just after she was born, to avoid those 3 AM wakeups only tolerated by parents of newborns, Scott made sure to be a presence in her life. “Of course, I’ll help you when I can, but—” He gestured at Scotty. “I’ve got a lot of other responsibilities these days, as you can see.”

“Well, don’t get too busy. I can’t take care of the folks all by myself, ya know.” Lizzie rejoined.

Paul raised an eyebrow. “Is that what you do?” he intoned.

Scott and Lizzie exchanged silent high fives. “Not a problem, sis,” he assured her.

Scott’s dedication to his family was at the core of his persona. Even though he now had to devote much of his time and attention to his new son, he had resolved to bring Scotty over to visit with his grandparents and Aunt Lizzie on many weekends. Scott would be able to continue to be actively involved with his parents and sister while everyone bonded with Scotty—a win-win all around. 

“Scott, I may have a solution for what you’re going to do with the condo,” Jenny mentioned. “Becky and Peter Fredin’s twins are going to school at UW next semester. They said they might be interested in renting the condo for the twins if you would help them get used to Madison.” 

“Yeah, I can do that. This is coming together real well. You know our current place in our condo development has been a cozy home for me for several years now. My tastes have been fairly simple as a single guy, sometimes attached and sometimes not. You guys—” Here he looked lovingly at Jenny and Paul—“each loved me to Algeiba and back in much humbler circumstances for many years. Of course, I like my creature comforts now…”

His parents laughed appreciatively.

“Anyway, since I brought Scotty home, it’s still a happy home—far happier, in fact. But pretty soon I started to think that a growing kid needs a bit more space, and you’re right, Dad, about it being cramped for me too. A bedroom of his own to put all his new stuff, a real backyard to play in with his friends and family, and most of all, a school closer to you guys, so Scotty has loving family members to come home to until I get home.”

“I like my school,” Scotty interjected. 

“I do too,” Scott assured him, silently thanking the family’s longtime friend, the Colonel, whose old FSA connections had produced the documentation to make the boy “legal” and allow him to attend school. “But here you can spend some time with Gran right after school, and of course have gelato every day at the shop right next to Gran’s gallery downtown, which I know she’ll take you to.”

“Well, not every day. Sometimes,” Jenny corrected.

“There’s a really good new flavor—raspberry mocha,” Lizzie, the family gelato aficionado, advised. “You should try it.” 

At the mention of gelato, the boy’s face lit up, “That would be cool! Let’s go house-hunting! And can we have some gelato along the way?” 

To the laughter of all, they loaded into Paul’s new Forester for a tour of some neighborhoods near Gordon L. Willson Elementary, which was the top-rated of the four elementary schools in Baraboo. It was also walking distance to the school district’s middle and high school complex, with its indoor pool that Scott knew his son would fall in love with. Lizzie told her nephew how the whole town was sports and outdoors-oriented, so there were plenty of athletic pursuits he could enjoy, like her advanced gymnastics program.

“Home of the Thunderbirds,” Scotty read appreciatively, as they passed Baraboo High School, where his Aunt Lizzie was an honor student, as well as John Young Middle School. “That’s a cool nickname for my future school!” Then, as his dad predicted, he roared with delight upon glimpsing the Olympic size pool complex. “Wow, Dad! Can I live with Granddad and Gran until we get our house?” 

Once again, Scott wondered if his and his parents’ decision to make Scotty his son, instead of his brother, was the right one. Had the cloning process reached its conclusion, or even resulted in a twenty-something young man, clearly the clone would be Paul and Jenny’s son. But Scotty being born at age 10 changed that dynamic. The boy was the proper age for Scott to be his dad, and Paul and Jenny had been prodding Scott for several years now about when he would make them grandparents. Importantly, Scott wanted this. For a few years now, he had yearned to have a child regardless of whether he eventually married. Given his experiences with his mom, and then his dad, the thought of following them as a single parent didn’t intimidate him—at least not any more than any instant father. Overriding every other consideration was the simple fact that he had created Scotty, _not_ Paul, and that aroused overwhelming paternal instincts and immediate unconditional love for this boy who was his clone. _Yeah, it was the right decision._

“Don’t worry, dude, I have a plan where we’ll be living in our new home in just a few weeks,” Scott assured his son. “We’re going to look at renting immediately, with the option to buy if we like it there.”

“Cool!” came the only reply possible. 

“You see, Scotty, buying a house is not as easy as going to the store and buying groceries or a toy. There are a lot of complicated grownup things to consider, and also, the economy isn’t good for selling our condo. So I thought it might be a long while before we could move. But then I was talking to Granddad and he really thinks you should be settled in school for the new year as soon as you can be—like next month. And I thought about it and decided he was right. 

“You should also look at Gene and Lisa’s house,” Jenny suggested. “They’re moving to New Zealand to work on the new telescope the government is building, which is going to be the largest in the world—for now.”

“New Zealand’s building a telescope?” Lizzie asked. “I didn’t know that.”

“Neither did I until Gene said it,” Paul admitted.

“Yep, they and Australia had a big political dustup with South Africa over it, so now all three countries got parts of it,” Scott said. 

“When are you people going to learn not to interrupt?” Jenny asked in mock annoyance.

“We’re Geffners, Mom,” Scott pointed out with a smile. “Say what we want first and think later.” 

“That trait has its uses,” Jenny conceded, “But you have an impressionable young one now, Scott.”

“You’re right, Mom, I do.” Scott said. “Sorry. You were saying?” 

“Gene and Lisa originally planned to rent their house out, not thinking it would sell very quickly, but they would probably jump at the chance to rent immediately to someone who wanted to purchase it as soon as you get enough funds for the down payment. We’ll help with that, of course.” Jenny continued.

“It’s a great house,” Paul agreed enthusiastically. “Less than a quarter mile from the schools, with a big backyard, and a fabulous view just like ours. It’s a bit larger than you might like right now for just you and Scotty—four bedrooms upstairs, and it has a finished basement that contains an office, a bathroom, and a large space for recreation activities. But this way, you won’t have to move again when the next addition to your family comes along.” Paul raised his eyebrow at Julie. 

“That’s awesome!” Scotty declared, already picturing plunging into the waters below the waterfall he glimpsed through the window of the pool complex as they went past. He thought the finished basement would make a cool pad for when he brought friends over to play. 

One look at the “curb appeal” of that house, with its architecturally intriguing peaked roof line, followed by a tour inside, and Scott fell in love with it, as did Julie and Scotty. The clincher was the address: 617 Waldo Court, a small cul-de-sac terminating off of Bascom Hill Road, overlooking the Baraboo campus of the University of Wisconsin, and that incredible view of the foothills across the valley. _Maybe I can work up here a few days a week. That would be awesome! I bet I can even ski down to that campus when everyone else is snowed in, and I can't get to Madison._ Scott thought. Scotty’s eyes lit up when he saw the pool table in the basement rec room, which Gene said was included. Recalling his “it’s-all-in-the-wrist” pool games with his dad, Scott just grinned, thinking, _like father, like son, and now grandson. Yep, this house is The One, all right!_ The owners offered them a great purchase option price, and after that, it was only paperwork. They’d be moving in two weeks.  
  
---  
  
“How about we take a hike up at Devil’s Lake?” Paul suggested to his son on Sunday morning. The two had been hiking “the Midwest’s Yellowstone,” as the Visitor’s Guide depicted Devil’s Lake State Park in the nearby Baraboo Hills, for years, ever since Paul and Jenny reconstructed the enlarged version of Jenny’s rustic cabin for their country home with Lizzie. Devil’s Lake featured amazing vistas from atop rugged 500-foot quartzite bluffs overlooking a pristine 360-acre lake, and was Wisconsin’s most popular state park. For Paul and Scott, it was their favorite place to get away for hiking, biking, and paddling, while scoring some quality one-on-one time with each other. 

“Great idea,” Scott responded. “You want to do the Ice Age Trail or the Steinke Basin Loop?”

“Well, it hasn’t rained much, so the loop trail shouldn’t be too muddy. I’m not looking for anything too strenuous.”

“Okay.”

About 2.5 miles in length, the Steinke Basin Loop was an easy, level, grassy, wooded trail through an extinct glacial lake bed crossing over bridges and a variety of land covers. The two hour hike afforded the perfect setting for quiet conversation while savoring the beauty of nature. 

“Have fun, guys,” Jenny bade farewell. “That will give Julie, Lizzie, Scotty and me some quality time together as well.”  
  
---  
  
“You seem to be handling your new responsibilities well, Scott. I knew you would.” Paul remarked as they started their hike. 

“You’re my model, Dad,” Scott replied. “All I do when I encounter something that Scotty says or does that's challenging is ask myself, ‘What would Dad say?’”

“I remember Liz Baynes saying no one is born a father. I had to just use my instincts, and you turned out all right.” 

“Yeah, I had to be quite a challenge back then, huh?” Scott grinned at his dad. “At that point, I knew more about parenting than you.”

Paul grinned back, proud of the legendary father-son relationship they had formed. “Which wasn’t much. ‘Local option’—right! Really?”

They both laughed at the old family joke. 

“Yeah, you never did buy that one, did you?”

“All kids in the universe try to get out of school at some time in their youth.”

“Guess Scotty remembers how that turned out with you and me, because he hasn’t tried that ploy on me. How much do you think he remembers about my life? While he may marvel at how I know what he’s thinking, that works both ways, and it’s a bit disconcerting to think he knows all the times I did something stupid.” 

Paul laughed. “Well, overall, you managed to make good decisions throughout your adolescence, so I wouldn’t worry too much. The truth is, even now, Scotty has only vague recollections because they were your own recollections of events some 20 years ago. He also can’t process events that happened to you when you were older than he is now because he has the cognitive skills of a 10 year old, so most of those teenage and adult years of yours are beyond his comprehension. It's like having old data created on an obsolete computer program you no longer have. As he grows, his own experiences will further crowd out your memories.”

“So while he’s my clone, he’s really not much different in development than a normal kid?” 

“Right. Of course, he seems to show considerably more flair for using his sphere than you ever did. Your grandfather on Algeiba is like that—a real athlete in that area. It’s likely the genes he passed down skipped you, but re-emerged again with Scotty. That’s just how the cloning process works.”

“Thanks a lot, Dad. My own son is better than I am at a key skill. How will I ever keep his respect?”

“Because you’re his dad, and the love you show, and the relationship you build with him transcends everything else. I would be proud of his abilities, just as I am proud of yours. A friend of mine has a son who’s several inches taller than he is. He jokes at how hard it is to be parental when having to look up at his son. But because there’s so much mutual respect and love in that relationship, the boy takes guidance well, even while grinning down at his dad trying to admonish him.”

Scott smiled at the picture his dad painted. He hoped his own relationship with his son would be as strong. “I’m glad you’re here, Dad, to talk to about things like this. There’s so much more I have yet to learn from you about parenting and even life.” _How did an alien being get so wise about human relationships?_ He marveled to himself. 

“There are going to be times when something happens that’s beyond both your and my experiences, Scott. You won’t know what to say or do that will resolve the situation, or it can’t be resolved, and you and Scotty will just have to accept what life throws at you. If it’s lemons, you make lemonade. Whatever, just let the values I taught you that are now a part of you be your guide,” the Starman replied. 

“Thanks, Dad. You’ve always been a bridge over troubled water for me.” 

It was Paul’s turn to smile at the recollection when they decided many years ago that Paul Simon’s famous song that he wrote and sang with Art Garfunkel would be their first special song. They were both bridges over all the troubled water for each other in their early times together. In those times of adversity, each helped the other, and each needed the other, then and now. That’s what families do. 

“Now about this thing with Julie…,” Paul brought up delicately. 

Scott flushed a bit. Discussing romantic feelings, even with his dad, was not his forte. “Well, um, you know, Dad,” he stumbled around, looking earnestly at his dad. “I’m starting to think she might just be The One.”

“Do you love her?” Paul asked gently, sensing the difficulty Scott was experiencing articulating his feelings. He returned Scott’s gaze with a warm, compassionate, and understanding look. 

“Like you kinda said one time about Mom to Liz, I’m not sure I know what that kind of love is. There have been some women I really liked before, but none of them were quite the right person at the right time. Then there were a couple who turned out to be really the wrong people at the wrong time too. So I’m still single.” He smiled wanly.

“I remember,” a wiser and older Starman replied. “Those were hard for you to go through, but in matters of the heart, you have to find that out for yourself. Then you know. It works the other way too. When it’s right, you’ll know it when you know it. It’s a feeling that consumes your every waking and subconscious thought in your body, and literally causes your heart to palpitate or emit pains at the thought of not being with a person. And it doesn’t just happen; it has to grow like a delicate flower until the feeling blooms into the most beautiful and wondrous floral arrangement you’ve ever known. All that stimulates the chemicals in the brain to produce a sexual yearning—sorry, my Algeiban side is becoming too analytical.” Paul smiled briefly. 

“But you _do_ know that feeling in part—it’s the same as our feelings for each other in every sense except sexual. I don’t think I felt that way completely on my first visit to Earth, or I would have returned a lot sooner for you and your mom. What can I say? In some ways, young beings are the same all over the universe. We don’t always appreciate fully what we have, or what it means until we’ve lived and experienced more. I did care for her and, in an abstract sense, for the baby that would become you, but I don’t think either your mother or I thought very far ahead at the time. I’d like to think that if I’d known, things would have been different. But it was only after I came back to you that I truly understood deep inside what it meant to love you as my son. And it was only when your mother and I reunited in Saguaro, that she and I really fell in love. Do you feel that way about Julie?” 

“I’m starting to, I think. Maybe we’re in that flower-beginning-to-bloom-in-spring phase.” 

“I can’t help you with your feelings about her, Scott, but there are some elements that might influence your decision whether to marry her. Remember when Uncle Bob was deciding if Liz was The One? He had some thoughts that might help you now.”

“Yeah, I remember. That was all part of his search for identity right after he resurrected himself from the energy remnants you left when you cloned his body on Mount Hawthorne. He sure changed his life after we went camping with him at Yosemite.”

Paul smiled at the recollection. Yosemite had once again proven to be a magical place. “Remember when he talked about what he thought he wanted in a woman he would marry? Are any of those traits important to you as well?” 

Scott thought back to how his Uncle Bob had expressed what he would like in the woman of his dreams: _“Sensuous and passionate, of course. But, first and foremost, a unique woman with a kind heart, whose warmth radiates on everyone she meets, who is tolerant of other’s beliefs, and truly cares about people. Equally important would be an openness to sample the many experiences life has to offer—that grain of adventurousness that shows a spirit for savoring the unexplored, as well as the familiar. An even-tempered nature that permits her to banish the demons of anger whenever she encounters one of life’s traffic jams. Self-assurance, and a lack of possessiveness. And finally, an intelligence that enables meaningful discussion and appreciation of the world’s concerns as well as its grandeur.” Yeah, there was a lot of Julie in there. And someone great with kids, he added. Scotty seemed to think she was._

“Yes, that’s helpful, Dad. I hadn’t really thought about it that fully.”

“One pragmatic aspect to also think about, Scott,” Paul continued, sensing his son’s thoughts. “Julie and Scotty seem to have hit it off tremendously. Now that you already have a son, any woman you marry must accept him wholeheartedly, or the relationship is not likely to survive. Parenthood, of course, can be a great joy, but it’s a commitment that should not be entered into lightly or reluctantly. Do you think she’s ready?

“Oh, yeah, that part I’m sure of, and it would be a deal breaker if she wasn’t. She’s even mentioned having more kids, but um— that’s getting ahead of ourselves right now. And she’s got to get along with you, Mom and Lizzie too. No woman is worth in-law problems with any of you.” Scott said

“Very wise,” Paul agreed.

“Do you like her?”

“I do,” Paul said. He laughed a bit as he added, “I can’t speak for your mother and sister, of course, so you’d better ask them yourself, but my sense is we’d all be pleased to welcome Julie if she makes you and Scotty happy and treats you well.”

“She does, Dad, but there’s one thing I’m not sure of,” Scott said. “If she gets it—you know, me—us.”

“She knows we’re different,” Paul stated. “And you’ve told her what happened, right?”

“Yes, of course,” Scott said.

“Does she accept it?”

“She says she does. But most people do these days. Not many people are as blunt in misconceptions or ignorance or fears as Fox. ‘Alien seed’ isn’t a polite form of address at the water cooler, you know. But ‘Oh, I never notice you’re a Starman. You’re just like a regular person,’ doesn’t cut it either, because it denies a part of me, of you, of Lizzie and Scotty that’s fundamental to who we are, that we suffered for, that we’re proud of. I guess it’s better than the crazy fans who stop us in public, ‘Oh, Paul Forrester! I love your pictures. Can I have an autograph? Oh you’ve got a magic marble! How awesome! Can your kids do tricks like that too?’ We’re just a family of regular people who are also Algeiban trying to have a nice day together, not a sideshow.”

”You’ve never liked the attention, and I don’t blame you,” Paul acknowledged. “It runs counter to how we had to live for so long. You mother and I will never knowingly do anything detrimental to our family, but as I’ve told you often, if we can use our public presence to do good for the world, we should. Your sister has a somewhat different temperament from you and enjoys interacting with others, so it’s mostly worked out.”

“I love that kid,” Scott said. “Even when she was 5 years old, she’d come right out and correct the busybodies, ‘It’s not a marble and it’s not magic. It’s a sphere.’ and ‘Space alien’ isn’t nice. You should say ‘Algeiban-American.’”

“That’s our Lizzie,” Paul said with paternal affection. “She has her share of things to learn and work through, just like any teenager, but she’s safe and confident in who she is in ways we could only dream of when you were her age. I’m proud of her—and you and, soon enough, Scotty, I’m sure, with good guidance from you and Julie.”

“Well, that’s what I’m saying, Dad. I mean if we’re going to get married, ‘for better or worse until death us do part,’ and she’s going to be the mother of a Starchild, I have to know that she gets it, that if the better gets worse—maybe a lot worse—from some other maniac—and my son has to go through stuff because of who he is, she’s going to be there and on the same page with me to help him navigate this world. In other words, she needs to do for me what Mom did for you.” 

Paul sighed. “This is where you stopped with some of those past girlfriends, isn’t it?”

Scott nodded. “I guess.”

“Scott, I understand what you’re saying and I respect it,” Paul said. “You and I have had a very singular set of experiences in this society—good and bad—that have shaped who we are and how we react today. And it’s very hard to explain to people who were not there and didn’t live it with us. Yes, you need and deserve a partner in life who can respect the traits and influences that are part of your life and your son’s. But who is this elusive human being who gets it at the outset?”

“Mom does,” Scott said.

Paul laughed. “Jenny’s had over thirty years to get it and she’s had her own struggles intertwined with ours along the way. You forget how fragile she was when I found her in Saguaro. I love her with all my heart and soul. I know you do too, as she does you, our firstborn. Since we’ve been reunited, it’s been so gratifying to see the two of you pour love into each other, making up for lost time. Your mother has always done the best she knew how to do at any given time, but she’s made mistakes and learned along the way as all beings do. In any relationship, there are unknowns. Of course, you try to think about compatible interests and values and whether the passion is there and all that. Those are responsible things to do, just like a pilot gathers the maps and plans the course, checks the instruments and does everything he or she can to reach the intended destination. But I got lost and crashed on Earth anyway the first time.”

“You sure did, Dad,” Scott teased.

Paul continued, “Good relationships don’t end on the wedding day. You just hope for the best that, having considered many aspects, the environment is there for the flowers to continue to grow and bloom. It would be irresponsible of me to say that we’ll never be in danger again. But after many years and only a couple of close calls, I don’t think Scotty is going to struggle as much as you’ve had to. Even if he did, I’d hate for you to miss out on a chance to enrich your lives and ours because of that residual fear or the perception that Julie won’t handle it if it comes. You haven’t given her a chance. As long as you’ve explained the situation as best you can, and she willingly goes into marriage with eyes wide open, that’s all you realistically can ask for now.”

“You’re right, Dad,” Scott acknowledged.

“So when’s the wedding?” Paul smiled.

“Hey, give me a minute to think about it, okay?” Scott rejoined.

“You can have more than a minute,” Paul said. “Take as long as you like. It’s your decision.”

Father and son smiled, put their arms around each other’s shoulders, just like the old days, and hiked for a while in silence, not sure at the moment who was taking care of whom.  
  
---  
  
The subject of that conversation was having a similar talk with Jenny about Scott. 

“He’s really doing well for a brand new, first- time father,” Julie observed. “You and his father must have been great role models.”

Jenny smiled self-effacingly at the compliment. “Thank you. I’m not sure whether it’s because of us or in spite of us and all he went through when he was younger. Of course, we didn’t expect to become grandparents quite this way, but I’ve always expected that he’d be a good father because he’s such a devoted son, brother, nephew and cousin. He pretends to complain good naturedly, ‘Why does everybody always call me? How long do you think you’d last without me to take care of you?’ but the truth is, he’s there without question, sometimes before we even ask. Fierce, tender, protective—that’s Scott. We weren’t able to be together as a family for basically his whole childhood, but once we were, he made his family his reason for being. If he can get himself into the mindset, he’ll make a tremendous husband too.”

Julie laughed. “I’m working on him. But something holds him back. I’m not sure what.”

“I doubt it’s anything personal,” Jenny assured her. “He cares about you, but during the chase, survival meant not getting too attached to anybody or anything because sooner or later, we’d have to leave. He still reminisces sadly about Kelly Jordan, his first girlfriend in high school. He even went to a formal school dance with her, but had to escape abruptly without so much as saying goodbye because Fox was on their tails. Even after many years, it’s difficult to unlearn such ingrained habits. By now, we have, for the most part, but there’s always that thought in the back of our minds that’s waiting for the other shoe to drop. If, God forbid, we were in danger again, I know it would hurt Scott to give up the lives we have and to hurt anyone else whom he loves. He believes that hardly anybody can understand all the complexities of what she might be getting into as his wife. Part of him wants somebody who will make that commitment, of course, but another part thinks it’s not fair to put her in a situation to possibly go through what I went through for his father and him.”

“Well, if somebody makes her own decision to be with him, how is he putting her in the situation?” Julie responded. “She could be perfectly capable of putting herself there.”

“Very true,” Jenny agreed with a laugh. She liked that Julie had a mind of her own.

“Isn’t a relationship about sharing and give and take on both sides? Julie continued. “That’s just the nature of it. If you love somebody and decide to spend your lives together, you’ll readily compromise or sacrifice or go through hard times, not just the good ones. Scott’s not the only person in the universe who’s ever survived adversity. Others might know a thing or two about it.”

“Yes,” Jenny agreed again, thinking back to how she had explained love to the Starman before Scott was even born: _Love is when you care about another person more than you care about yourself._

The two women continued to talk. Now it was Julie’s turn to share with Scott’s mother a bit about her own experiences and her thoughts about a potential life together with Scott and Scotty. Although they had met and interacted on several previous occasions, this was the first time they had really gotten to know each other on a deeper level.  
  
---  
  
“Hey Scotty, wanna play video games?” Lizzie suggested.

“Sure,” the video game aficionado replied eagerly. “You got the same game system as my friend, Kyle. I’m hoping to get one for my birthday. I want an iPod, too, but Dad says I have to choose. What do you think?”

“Well, I got both, and that’s really cool. I love my iPod because there’s so much you can do with it—carry around 1000 songs in your pocket and play them wherever you are, going home from school, or just hanging out with friends, for example. Do you like music?”

“Well, yeah, but I’m not that into it yet,” said the boy who still measured his existence in weeks, not years, not even months. 

“You will. It’s every tween’s and teen’s lifeline—next to texting, of course,” Lizzie assured him. 

“Cool. But I still like my video games.”

“Yeah, I know. Me, too. But if I had to pick just one, it would be the iPod because you can also surf the web, send emails and texts, keep track of your activities and other cool things.” Lizzie paused. “Hey, I just got an idea how you can get both.” 

“Wow, how can I do that?” the boy asked excitedly. 

“Your birthday is the same as my brother’s, uh, your dad’s, right?”

“Yep. In November.” 

“Well mine is in September, and I’m going to ask for an iPhone. If I get it, I’ll give you my iPod, 'cause the iPhone has everything the iPod has and just adds a phone. Then you can ask for the video game console, and that way you’ll get both.” Lizzie explained.

Scotty was impressed—and appreciative. “You’d do that?” You’re really cool! Thanks a bunch.”

“Sure, you’re my nephew, right?”

“Yeah, just don’t start giving out orders,” he warned with a laugh.

“Me?” came the mirthful reply, and they both burst out giggling.

“Your dad and I used to do this all the time,” Lizzie continued. “Where do you think my iPod came from? Mom, um, your Gran, was just like your dad is now. We, too, always had to choose, because she didn’t want to spoil us. She said if my dad had his way, we’d always get everything we wanted, and that wasn’t going to happen on her watch. So your dad would buy me things I really wanted that I couldn’t ask for myself from my parents,” she grinned. “Like an iPod. It’s great to have a big brother, although he said just one special gift at a time, so he wouldn’t get in trouble with Mom!”

“That’s my dad, all right,” Scotty grinned. “You know, you just reminded me of something my dad also did involving an iPod when you were little, and you guys went to Chicago to see Uncle Bob’s son, Will, play in Little League.”

“Really?” 

Scotty closed his eyes, trying to recall all the details from his dad’s memories. _They were traveling in Bob’s large SUV, all 7 of them, Paul, Jenny, Scott, Liz, Bob, Will, and Little Lizzie on her mom’s lap for the short drive to the ball field._

_Just then, a familiar song came on the radio: “Oceans apart, day after day, and I slowly go insane…”_

_“Hey… Chicago boy!” Bob recognized._

_“Richard Marx. Haven’t heard that one in a long time,” Liz recalled._

_“It’s a beautiful song,” Paul commented, recalling all the times he had been “Right Here Waiting” for Jenny._

_Bob asked, “Didn’t Bob Hays’ brother-in-law play backup on that one?”_

_“The album, not the song, I think,” Liz replied._

_“Yeah. I like that Marx dude's songs,” Scott added. “He sang a great one, ‘Straight from the Heart,’ as a tribute about missing his dad,” glancing fondly at Paul. “Remember, Dad, when I was just settling into my dorm for the first time, I was so lonely I’d play it like 20 times in a row.”_

_“I remember,” Paul replied. "That became our second special song.”_

_“Yeah. Great song,” young Will added, “‘cept the dad was dead.”_

_“True,” Bob responded, “but that doesn’t mean people can’t miss their dads or their sons when they’re not together, right? You miss me when I have to fly somewhere for the Foundation, don’t you?”_

_There was no time for the young boy to respond, because they had arrived at the game. Soon, the sound of “Play Ball” from the umpire echoed through the stands filled with parents and well-wishers of the mighty tykes brandishing miniature bats and fielder’s gloves, and running smartly around the bases just like the professionals did._

“Yeah," Scotty continued his conversation with Lizzie. "You probably don’t remember, but you wandered out onto the field, just as George, the kid who played for the opposing team, the Foxes, was about to slide home. I, um, my dad, I mean your brother,” Scotty stuttered, “couldn’t get to you fast enough, and if it wasn’t for George heroically grabbing you instead of trying to score, you would have been hit by the ball coming like a rifle bullet right at you.” 

“I don’t remember any of this,” Lizzie said.

“Well, Granddad and Dad came up and thanked George for his actions, and then my dad said he wanted to reward the kid for sacrificing his own glory at scoring a run to save you from getting hurt. George didn’t want any reward, but I insisted and asked George’s dad what George might like. We agreed on an iPod. It had just come out, and every kid wanted one.” 

“You mean your dad agreed,” Lizzie interjected.

“Yeah, my dad did,” replied Scotty, quickly correcting himself, getting totally confused about whose memories he was relating. 

“That’s an amazing story.” Lizzie suddenly looked at Scotty in awe. “You know a lot of things about my brother I probably don’t know, don’t you?”

“Well they’re all jumbled up inside my head, and it’s only when somethin’ like this happens that makes me think about somethin’ that I remember it. Dad made me promise not to talk about his memories because they’re not really mine, but I guess what I told you was okay. It just kind of slipped out,” he confessed a bit nervously. 

“Don’t worry. It will be our secret.”

They high fived each other and went to play Super Mario Galaxy 2, which both kids loved because it was filled with swimming missions for Scotty and jumping missions for Lizzie. Even Scott liked this game because it also had flying missions reminiscent of his helicopter rescue missions for the Wisconsin National Guard.  
  
---  
  
As Julie and Scotty packed up for the trip back to Madison, Jenny approached Scott who had already finished and was waiting downstairs. “Real quick mother-son chat?” she asked smiling.

“Sure, Mom, You’re not going to tell me it’s cold out at 65 degrees, and I should be wearing my jacket, are you?” Scott grinned. 

Ever since the chase ended, the relationship between Jenny and her adult son took on this easy going bantering whenever they got together. They had bonded during the first year after the chase, when Scott decided to commute from Paul and Jenny’s Madison apartment to the University of Wisconsin during his freshman year before Lizzie was born. It was a great time to really appreciate a “normal” family environment with two parents, something that he had missed all of his life, and they crammed 18 years of living together into one fantastic one. 

“No, the only one I can still say _that_ to is your sister, Jenny rejoined.” They both laughed as she went on, “I like Julie. I know you have concerns if she could take it if things got rough—you know what I mean—” 

Scott nodded. 

“I think you have nothing to worry about on that score. She’s related a few events in her past that I don’t know if she mentioned to you yet, but came out in our girl talk.” Jenny looked her son directly in the eye. “This woman can handle anything.” 

Scott took in his mom’s comments for a moment and nodded again. “Thanks, Mom.” _That should be an interesting conversation with Julie,_ he thought.

As Scott and Jenny were exchanging a quick goodbye hug, Scotty bounced down the stairs, with Julie right behind. “Let’s go Dad. Can we stop at the Log Cabin for lunch on the way home? I want some cherry limeade.”  
  
---  
  
**Sometime after the move to Baraboo:**

The next night, while tucking his son in again, Scott seemed unusually somber.

“Dad, are you sad?"

"Yes," Scott Senior answered him. There was no hiding ‘blue lights,’ the phrase Lizzie, and now Scotty, used to describe the Algeiban ability to sense one another’s thoughts and emotions. 

"Why?"

 _Why, indeed._ Scott was startled yet again by his new son’s Algeiban powers of empathy. He was sure there was no way he could have overheard or understood what he had been quietly discussing with Julie earlier—the tragic accident that had killed two young children before their mother's eyes in their old neighborhood in Madison, the aftermath of which he'd witnessed earlier this morning. 

Scott sighed. He wouldn't, couldn't, tell his son the gory details, although he knew the 10 year old would not be satisfied with a simple answer, and yet, sensitive Scotty would be just as disturbed as his father, if not more so. Before Scott had had his young one come into his life, he had had no earthly idea how much he would come to love him, and how devastated he would be to lose him, rascal as he could sometimes be. 

"There are some dads and moms who love their kids so very much the same way I love you, Scotty, but they can't be with their kids the way I can be with you." Scott replied. "I'm sad for them because they must be sad."

"Oh," Scotty said. "Would a great big hug make them feel better?"

"It might," Scott answered. "I hope they have people who love them who will do that for them." Then, "It would make Daddy feel better."

"Okay," his loving son said, happy to oblige.

As Scott held the boy tightly, Julie, who was staying over that night, came by Scotty’s bedroom. Scott didn't say it, but with one look at him, Julie knew what he was thinking. She saw Scott’s eyes cover a deep sadness, and then blink with a resolute decision. She again knew what he had decided, and gave him their special look. "Are you sure you have to do that?" she asked quietly, when they returned downstairs.

"I have a responsibility," he replied simply. "Scotty was in the same class as that boy, and although I don't think they were close friends, he has a right to know. More importantly, I can't shield my child from learning how to deal with the tough things in life. And after I tell him why I'm sad, I'm taking him back to Madison to help all of us get closure - we're going to the memorial.

Julie nodded in understanding. "You know what Scotty will ask, don't you?"

Scott paused. "Yes, I know," he replied quietly. “I’ve been wondering ‘What would Dad say?’ How would he answer that question?”  
  
---  
  
"Daddy," Scotty asked between sobs. "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

The memorial had grown to almost half a block since Scott had left with his son for Madison a day ago. A plethora of teddy bears, toys, flowers, balloons, notes, and cards marked the spot where two little children's lives had been immediately snuffed out by a driver under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and driving with a suspended license, who erratically crossed a bicycle lane, climbed the sidewalk, and struck little Alana and Troy. A TV truck stood guard, preparing for the live telecast that would be on the Evening News in a few minutes. Residents of all ages were gathered, silently staring at the colorful assembly of mementoes to two innocent lives, sadly gone before they even knew how to live them.

Scotty gripped his father's hand very tightly, but Scott was still able to squeeze just a bit more. His 10 year old boy, tears in his eyes, began whispering prayers he had learned at church, vaguely remembering something his granddad had told his dad when Grandma Stella died. "She'll always be a part of you."

"Scott," Scott Senior began, "This was an accident, and accidents can happen to anyone. We can try real hard to avoid them—that's why I don't let you play near the pool without some adult real close by—but sometimes bad things can still happen, even when you're good. And if you do something wrong, like race down the driveway on your bicycle, the chances of something bad happening go up. Do you understand?"

"But Dad, they were just riding their bikes on the sidewalk, with their mom behind them. They weren't doing nothin' wrong. Why did they have to die?"

Scott didn't really have an answer. He was still a new parent, after all, but he suspected even more experienced parents would be similarly at a loss for an answer. _Why indeed? A split second later, and they would have been out of harm's way. If the car had veered towards the sidewalk a fraction of a mile sooner or later.... And not just one kid, brother and sister, the only two in that family. This was a parent's worst nightmare—for the family involved, but also for those with small children of similar ages. It was a fear local parents and their children would carry for quite some time, knowing it could have involved them just as easily._

"Scott," Scott Senior began again, struggling to find an analogy a 10 year old could relate to. "Imagine the sun is shining on two farms right next to each other, and one farm belongs to a good person, and the other farm belongs to a bad person. Then it starts raining real hard, so hard that it causes a flood, and both farmers lose all their crops. The good farmer wasn't doing anything wrong, it's just that a flood can happen to anyone. Rain is going to come down all around, and that's the nature of living on this earth. Does that help?" 

"Well, a little," his son agreed somewhat tentatively. 

“The good farmer probably was angry for a time, too. But he didn’t stay angry. He decided what he had to do to make things better, and he did them.” 

"I'm still scared, Dad."

Scott could only wish he had a magical sphere, in addition to his regular one, that would protect his kid from all bad things, forever. All he could say, soothingly, was "I know, kiddo." 

As if to punctuate that fear, Scotty added his own prayer just then to the ones he had memorized. "Dear God, please don't let this happen to me or Daddy."

"Amen," prayed Scott Senior to himself. He turned to lead the most precious being in his life back to the car. He thought of the sphere again, hoping its powers would be there to give God a hand if needed.

Scotty bade his ex-schoolmate a final farewell. "Bye, Troy, have a great life in heaven."  
  
---  
  
**Epilogue**

After arriving home from the memorial, Scott warmed up some Dutch apple pie, which he and Scotty both enjoyed with a glass of milk. “That was awesome, Scotty, when you created that 3D video hologram gift of Troy and Alana. Their parents were really impressed. I was too. I would have to work very hard to do that with my sphere. You did it in minutes.” 

“Yeah. I wanted them to have something to remember their kids that will always be a part of them.” 

“You succeeded. Good job, son.” 

“That drunk lady who killed Troy and Alana is gonna be in jail for a long, long time, Dad,” Scotty commented, with a bit of anger in his voice.

“Yes.”

“Where there's no gelato, and she can't see the stars!”

“That's right.”

“She's gonna pay for what she did!”

“Absolutely.”

“That's good then, 'cause grownups shouldn't hurt or kill little kids.”

“No. Nobody, adult or child, should hurt anyone else. Now the person who killed Troy and Alana, and hurt everybody who cared about them, is being made to take responsibility for what she did, and she won't be able to harm anyone else. By the time her sentence is over, you'll be a grown man, and maybe even a dad yourself.”

Scott continued. “Being in jail or seeing someone else going to jail reminds people that actions have consequences. Sometimes we all do things that we shouldn't, but possibly we get lucky and nothing bad happens the first time, or even the first several times, so some people get complacent. That's a big word that means they get too comfortable, and believe even if they act in ways that aren't appropriate, nothing bad will ever happen. Or they make excuses so they don't have to really think about what they've done. But sometimes real, real bad things do happen, and then it's too late to undo the wrong decisions. It's better if everybody uses good judgment in the first place, because in this situation, the deaths of two kids are a huge and tragic price for stupidity and irresponsibility. The driver will pay it, but so will Troy and Alana's family, and lots of other people. Do you understand what I mean?”

Vaguely realizing that his dad was talking about the tragedy but also making larger points about some Important Things, Scotty replied, “I guess so. Like even if the lady goes to jail for the rest of her life, it won't bring Troy and his little sister back.”

“Yes, that's the hard part. Maybe you'll see Troy again in heaven someday, but in this life on Earth, he's gone forever, although he’ll always be a part of the people who loved him. His mom and dad can't see him, or touch him, or hold him or his sister, and that was a completely unnecessary loss.”

Scotty let out a heartbroken and heartbreaking sob, and moved from the table so that his dad could put an arm around the boy. Scott squeezed tightly to comfort his son as their conversation continued.

“But Troy is still a part of you, right?—maybe even more so than when he was alive. When we still lived in Madison, you knew him from school, but not too well because the two of you had different friends.

“But after he died, even though we live in Baraboo now, you've thought more about him this week: the things he liked to do and say, some funny things that happened, and that he was a nice kid—a lot like you—whom you wish you'd known better so you could have been friends. And because of the way he died, you now know how important it is to be more careful in the things you do, and to enjoy your life because Troy's and Alana's were so short.

“Troy and Alana are also part of lots of other people too, some of whom knew them when they were alive, but others who didn't. Now, outside your old school, there's going to be a beautiful stone wall and bench in their memory, and there will be new paved paths being constructed in our old neighborhood so that kids can get to the school, and everybody can walk and bike more safely. And their dad said he’ll create a foundation in their names. 

“There are lots of good things that need to be done in this world. Troy and Alana's foundation will work to change the laws about drinking or taking drugs and driving, so people who keep doing it, like the woman who slammed her car into Troy and Alana, can be caught and stopped more easily. And you know what? Even though we'd much rather have still have Troy and Alana with us, good things to remember them by are coming out of this tragedy and their mom and dad will try real hard to have more kids.”

“Dad, if I die, are you gonna have more kids?”

“Well, if I marry Julie, we might want you to have a brother or sister. So you wouldn’t have to die to get them. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah, but would you have more kids if I die?” Scotty persisted. 

“You won’t die soon because our whole family will do everything in our power to protect you. You are my son, unique in the universe, the most precious being in my life. I love you so very much that I can't even think about what might or might not happen if I had to lose you. But you would always be my son, I would still love you and remember you for good and forever, and that part of me that is you would never, ever be replaced, even if there were new people in my life.”

“It's been a lousy week, Dad.”

“I know, Scotty. We and many people we know could have had a lot better. But life happens, and we'll keep trying. Granddad told me, if life throws you lemons, you make lemonade.” 

Scott Junior thought about that one for a second. “That’s a good saying, Dad. I’ll remember that. You know that iPod or video game system I want for my birthday? Can you give the money to Troy and Alana’s mom and dad instead? I’d like to help them with the funeral”

“That’s very thoughtful, Scotty. You’re a great kid. I’ll tell them. I don’t think they’ll accept, but they’ll be very pleased at your offer. Try to go to sleep now. It's late.” He then escorted his son to the boy’s bedroom, where Scotty quickly donned his pajamas, went to wash his face, brushed his teeth, returned to his room, and slipped into bed.

“I want to talk to God first.”

“All right, you can. Would you like me to stay with you while you do that?”

“No thanks, Dad, I need to talk to God by myself in real private.”

“Okay. Good night then. Sleep well and I'll see you in the morning.” Scott gently arranged the covers around his son. Then he reached over to switch off the light and carefully adjusted an item on Scotty's night table so that it wouldn’t accidentally get knocked over, knowing his son felt safer having it nearby when he woke up or went to sleep—a framed StarFamily photo of Scott Senior, Scotty smiling in a playful pose, and in the corner, a tiny inset of Jenny, Paul and Lizzie.

“I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too, Scotty. I will always love you to Algeiba and back.” 

Usually, after putting the boy to bed, Scott left the bedroom door slightly ajar so that he could come and go more quietly when he checked on his son later, but this time he was careful to pull Scotty's door fully closed so there would be no mistake that Scotty was alone "in real private" conversation with God, and not to be disturbed. As far as Scott knew, Scotty wasn’t in the habit of praying regularly, but when he did feel the need, it was very important to him. Scott wasn’t positive what Scotty's heart to heart with God was about tonight, but knowing his son, he had a pretty good idea. He figured that between God and Scotty, compassionate and wise far beyond his young 10 years, the universe would be in pretty good hands.

Heading downstairs, Scott murmured proudly to no one in particular, “That's my boy!”

**THE END of Episode 2**

**Author's Note:**

> We have found the tragic story of Troy and Alana devastatingly compelling for almost 10 years now, from when the accident occurred in a town nearby to where Chuck lived. Like many locals, he would go silently past the makeshift memorial that sprang up as a symbol of grief and support from the entire community. We wondered how to explain such an event to children, if they were classmates or the same ages as Troy and Alana. Responding to Scotty’s question is one of the most difficult tasks some parents must face, and we’re grateful for the inspiration and the opportunity for Scott to address it. 
> 
> The parts of this story that are about Troy and Alana, for the most part, were actually written in the first weeks after the tragedy, intended to be our contribution to a community outpouring of condolences to the parents, giving our perception of what a Starman-like figure would say to the children touched by the event. As we sketched out ideas for what challenges Scott would face as a new dad, we felt resurrecting our vignette would be fitting. 
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> Over the years, the event remained in our consciousness because we discovered that the parents established a foundation in memory of their children that is dedicated to traffic safety and which we followed from afar. You can read more about the real Troy and Alana and the Foundation’s efforts at: http://www.troyandalana.org/home.html. 
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> On that website, we also came across this after writing this story: 
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> _“The bond between Troy and his dad, Bob, was an especially strong one. Not only did his dad coach him in most sports, he was also a trusted confidante who found it difficult to "ground" Troy since they enjoyed so many activities together. Troy was likewise very close to his paternal grandparents, whom he called "Pop Pop" and "Ta Ta." He loved to spend the night at their house because he knew they would spoil him.”_
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> Now we know why we could never get their story out of our minds. STARMAN karma is a very compelling force! 
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